39 pages • 1 hour read
Sy MontgomeryThe Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Key Figures
Sy Montgomery
Montgomery is the author of 28 books for both adults and children, including How to Be a Good Creature, The Good Good Pig, and Journey of the Pink Dolphins. An award-winning writer and naturalist, she has both the journalistic and scientific background to tackle a subject like the one in Soul of an Octopus. Indeed, the New York Times has called her “equal parts poet and scientist” (“About Sy.” Sy Montgomery, n.d., symontgomery.com/about-sy/). She holds dual BA degrees from Syracuse University and majored in three subjects: journalism, French language and literature, and psychology. She is also the recipient of two honorary doctorates.
Montgomery is both a character in the narrative and the authoritative voice that informs and guides the reader. We learn of her interactions with octopuses but also receive her interpretations of them. Her fundamental exploration in the book is reflected in the title: searching for the soul of an octopus. She seeks to answer whether octopuses have a soul, and if so, what that means and how it is manifested. This involves their perception of the world around them and consciousness of themselves and other beings. Her inquiry is a mix of hard science with personal experience and observation. For example, she notes that an octopus’s arms are full of neurons and discusses the fact that the creature may not have a singular, central view of itself, unlike vertebrates, which have most of their neurons in their brains. Experientially, she describes Octavia’s interactions with her and Wilson at the end of the octopus’s life, concluding that they had a strong bond, if not relationship.
Bill Murphy
Bill is the main aquarist overseeing 15,000 animals in the Cold Marine Gallery at the New England Aquarium, including the octopuses. In his 30s, he is tall and strong, yet sensitive to the needs of the animals he cares for. He is depicted as knowledgeable and thoughtful, making careful decisions based on how the animals would be affected.
His interactions with the octopuses are often poignant. He is devastated when Kali escapes from her tank and dies. When Montgomery sees him for the first time after this, he can’t even talk about it right away; instead, they discuss the other animals for some time. He also agonizes over the decision of whether to swap tanks for Karma and Octavia, examining it from all angles. Only when he sees evidence of Karma chewing her way out of her tank does he feel forced to act. Catching Octavia without overstressing her is difficult at first, but his bond with her is such that when she touches his hand, she capitulates to entering the net he has stretched out before her. Montgomery describes this as no less than Octavia trusting Bill.
Wilson Menashi
Wilson is an engineer retired from Arthur D. Little, with inventions and patents among his achievements. He is a longtime volunteer at the aquarium who has a particular talent for working with octopuses. Soon after Montgomery begins visiting the aquarium, she and Wilson start meeting once a week, on what they dub “Wonderful Wednesdays.” He guides her as she learns about octopuses and begins her relationships with Octavia, Kali, and Karma. Wilson has also helped the aquarium devise and make toys for the octopuses, which are necessary because they are such intelligent creatures and get bored without something to do. For instance, he created a series of three nesting Plexiglas boxes, each with a different lock system (such as a sliding latch). They put a fish or crab in the smallest box and let the octopus figure out how to open all three boxes to get to the treat. Wilson plays a large part in teaching Montgomery about all aspects of octopuses, including their potential for having an interior life and consciousness.
Octavia, Kali, and Karma
These are the three main octopuses that Montgomery interacts with and learns from at the New England Aquarium in Boston. They are central to the book and, given the topic and Montgomery’s view of octopuses, it is only fitting to include them as main characters. They are all giant Pacific octopuses, caught in the wild in the Pacific Northwest. Octavia arrived when she was perhaps already two and a half years old, Kali when she was no more than nine months, and Karma when she was about nine or 10 months. All are gentle and friendly, but Octavia was shier when she first arrived. However, as Montgomery details throughout the book, each has her own personality. Octavia lives her full life cycle, dying after producing and tending to eggs. Kali dies after she escapes from her tank one night and is exposed too long to the air, while Karma is still alive when the book ends.
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